TÜV SÜD certifies Penny supermarkets in the Czech Republic according to the IFS Logistics Standard

Penny Market is the number one discounter chain in the Czech Republic, operating 364 shops and transporting 105 million packages of goods annually. To be able to ensure the same level of quality as the German headquarters and act as role model to their suppliers, Penny Market in the Czech Republic commissioned TÜV SÜD Czech to conduct certification according to IFS Logistics. This standard provides the basis for auditing logistics activities for food and non-food products and closes the gap between production and trade, providing an overview along the entire supply chain.

Producing transparency along the supply chain is the common goal of both trade and industry. To reflect this, in 2003 the IFS Food Standard was developed for retailers producing their own brands. Producers of own-brand food products must undergo auditing according to this standard. Although there was no similar standard for the logistics industry, legal requirements in that sector are likewise becoming steadily stricter. For this reason, German and French retailers, supported by other international retailers and IFS experts, developed the IFS Logistics Standard.

The standard covers all logistics activities for handling prepackaged products and spans transport, packaging of primary-packed products, storage and distribution. It applies to both food and non-food products, including products that need to be stored under controlled conditions such as bread, meat and milk.

Penny Market in the Czech Republic spent several months preparing for the complex certification process, which covers all handling of food products. In addition to teaching the theory in general training courses, the team of excellence – made up of experts from various areas of the company – compared the situation in the four large-scale logistics centres of Penny Market in the Czech Republic with the requirements of the standard. “We have established a completely new system for checking fruit and vegetables“, explains Petr Baudyš, Quality Manager at Penny Market in the Czech Republic. “In addition, we have introduced a new software program and now document the condition of our goods in the form of photos, which we can send to suppliers in the case of non-conformities.” Our new system acts as a kind of gateway that must be passed by all products before they enter our goods storage facilities and shops.”

For maximum transparency, Penny Market in the Czech Republic has supported smaller suppliers, taking over the costs of the most basic IFS certification, i.e. certification according to the IFS Global Market Standard.